After indicating that he might be heading home after just one year in the purple and gold jersey, Anthony Davis wasn’t so cruel against his hometown team. But then again, his Lakers did defeat the Chicago Bulls, with 118-112 last night at the United Center.
However, that win was very tough to get, as hosts happened to be very inspired against one of the biggest title contenders. They had a big lead and were ahead for a long time, but eventually missed a chance to take down the guests. The 12-2 run during the middle of the fourth, decided the game. Back then, the Lakers got away from an even situation to a double-digit lead.
What made the fans even happier in those moments is the fact that the key player on the court was Kyle Kuzma. Kuz delivered 11 of his 15 points in the final 12 minutes and was the force that pushed the guests in those moments.
“I’m getting there,” Kuzma said. “It’s a process, I know. It’s all about being patient right now because I haven’t really had much basketball time since August.”
Just to mention that neither LeBron nor AD were in the game when Lakers cracked Bulls. LBJ was tired, while on the other hand, AD had problems with fouls.
The Bulls had a massive lead during the second and third periods. The result at the halftime was 65-48 for them, and the biggest margin was 19 points. But they froze in the final sequence allowing the guests to score 39 points while scoring just 19.
It is not the first time for Chicago to drop a double-digit advantage, and that is frustrating for some of their players. Zach LaVine spoke about it after the match, admitting that he and his teammates have a problem when needing to close the contest.
“This one hurts,” LaVine said. “We were beating them up until the fourth quarter. We’re showing we can play with these teams. We know we’re talented. We’ve had 10-, 12-, 16-point leads on a lot of teams, but we’re losing games. It’s frustrating.”
LeBron posted his third consecutive triple-double, with 30 points, 11 assists, and 10 boards, shooting 10 of 19 from the field. Quinn Cook was superb off the bench with 17 buckets, while Kuzma and AD had 15 each. Kuz is still searching for his rhythm and was a bit rusty from behind the arc, hitting just one of his 8 shots. But for the moment, he has all the freedom and support when playing.
For the Bulls, LaVine delivered 26 points. He also added 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Otto Porter Jr and Coby White had 18 each, while Wendell Carter Jr. had a double-double with 11 boards and points.
The hosts were shooting good, with 50.2% percent from behind the arc, but also posted 21 turnovers. They will now face the Atlanta Hawks on the road this Wednesday, before hosting the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
As for the Lakers, their three-game road trip is finished, and Frank Vogel’s unit is now heading home to play against the Miami Heat on Friday.
